Cherries are small fruits available in different colors, like red and black. The best thing about cherries is that they are packed with antioxidants, other vitamins, and minerals that are vital for our body.
Researchers have even found that cherries help improve your sleep and promote the health of your heart. You can eat cherries directly as a light snack to improve your health. They are even used in jams, pies, and many more food items.
You can grow a cherry tree easily at home if you have adequate space in your yard. But can you grow a cherry tree from store-bought cherries? Yes, growing a cherry tree from the cherries you purchase from the store is possible.
A cherry tree can be grown in your garden from a single cherry pit. These trees spread their fragrance in spring, and you can harvest cherries in the summer season. But remember, cherry trees usually grow for 7.6 meters and even more than it. It will not survive in extremely cold or scorching climates.
How To Grow A Cherry Tree From Store-Bought Cherries?
1. Buy Cherry
Your first duty is to purchase cherries from your local market. Try to buy only those cherries you want to plant in your garden. Always prefer to buy from farmers’ markets and avoid buying from the grocery store because they may or may not grow properly in your climate.
Purchase a handful of cherries at a time because all the cherry pits will not sprout.
2. Eat cherries
Once you bring cherries from the market, wash them thoroughly in water. You can eat those cherries or slice all the cherries and refrigerate the flesh part so that you can use them in jams or any other purpose.
3. Separate Pits From The Seed
Now you need to completely clean the cherry seed with the help of tissue paper and separate the pits from the seeds. You can grow a cherry tree from the pit. The pit is a part of the cherry seed, which protects it till growth.
4. Soak Pits In Warm Water
Now you will have a handful of pits. To remove the extra cherry flesh, you need to soak the pits in warm water for a few minutes. After a few minutes, remove the pits from the warm water and put them in a paper towel. Allow the pits to dry for 2-3 days or one week.
5. Refrigerate The Pits
Once the pits are completely dry, you can keep them in an air-tight box and store them in your refrigerator for almost ten weeks.
6. Plant Cherries First In Indoor
Take the pits out from the refrigerator before a few hours of planting. Once the pits are at normal temperature, you can start planting.
Take some pots with good drainage soil. Plant two to three pits only in one pot. You need to water regularly for the best results. Keep the pot in a place where it is exposed to abundant sunlight. Additionally, the soil must be kept moist all the time.
7. Transplant
You will see saplings from the cherry pits within a few weeks. You must choose the strongest sprout from the groups and plant them in the soil. Try transplanting the shoots in spring, mainly when there is no sign of frost and the ground is warm.
Carefully remove the saplings or shoots from the soil and place them in your selected site. There must be at least 20 feet of space between the two saplings. Ensure that the saplings receive a good amount of sunlight and water for good results. You need at least 7 to 10 years for the harvest.
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What Are The Important Tips You Need To Remember While Growing Cherry Plant In Your Yard?
- You should give water to the cherry plant within a gap of two to three days. The soil should be moist for better growth.
- You need to plant young saplings in well-drained soil for good results.
- You need to plant saplings within a few inches gap so there will be enough space for the root to expand.
- If you are planting sweet cherries in your yard, remember that these plants are not self-pollinating. So, you need more sweet cherry trees in your yard to aid pollination.
- You need to apply mulch in spring and summer. It helps in controlling the growth of weeds near the cherry plant.
- Birds love to eat cherries. However, you can cover the tree with a bird net so birds cannot eat cherries.
- If you find any black spots growing on any branches of the cherry tree, then prune it immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need two cherry trees to grow fruit?
If you are going to plant sour cherries in your yard then you don’t need two cherry trees because they can self-pollinate.
However, if you wish to plant sweet cherries in your garden, you need to have two sweet cherry trees. It is because they don’t self-pollinate.
2. How long does it take to grow cherry from a seed?
Growing a cherry from seed usually takes 7 to 10 years. If you planted a sour cherry seed, then it can bear fruit earlier, i.e., you can harvest fruit after four to five years of planting. Even some cherry trees will not bear fruit even after ten years.
3. Do you have to crack cherry seeds before planting?
Yes, you need to crack cherry seeds before planting. Take a hammer or a nutcracker and try to remove the cherry pit from the seed. You must be gentle in this process, as it can hurt the embryo.
Conclusion
We have discussed below the procedure for growing cherry trees from store-bought cherries. You can follow the process and grow a cherry tree in your yard and enjoy harvest after a few years.
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